Any questions or comments about the waitlist, please post here.
UCI does not have any 2019 Waitlist information. Below are for 2018 and 2017
2018:
of applicants waitlisted: 12622
of applicants opting in: 6428
of applicants admitted: 136
2017:
Would any of you guys honestly say it’s worth pursuing a waitlist? I would 100% attend if they accepted me but my stats definitely aren’t top tier so idk if it’s worth the effort.
@aj7712: You have nothing to lose to opt into the waitlist, just make sure you SIR to another school by May 1. The admit rate varies from year to year, so there is no way to know how many they will accept this year from the waitlist.
I got waitlisted and chose to opt in.
Waitlisted for Political Science, I’d definitely attend if I got in too 
Got waitlisted for Aerospace Engineering, would love to go if space becomes available
Hi, identical triplet here. Both of my brothers have gotten accepted to UCI, and unfortunately I did not get in. However, I have opted into wait list. I am wondering, is there anything I could do to raise my chances to getting in, my brothers and I really want to get into this school together.
From the UC Website:
** For students who were offered and accepted a space on a waitlist at one of the campuses, can they do anything to increase their chances of selection? Are students ranked?
Whether or not a campus will offer admission to students on a waitlist depends on a number of factors, including the number of students initially offered admission who accept a space by the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) deadline (May 1 for freshman, June 1 for transfers), and campus and department enrollment goals. There is nothing that a student should or can do other than opt-in to the waitlist by the stated deadline. Any additional information submitted that was not requested by the campus will not be considered.
The process for selecting students from the waitlist varies at each campus. A campus might have enrollment goals for a particular major, leading to the admission of students who applied to that program, but not others. Or a campus might admit broadly.
**Update information for UCI Waitlist stats:
2019:
Waitlist offers: 17,019
Waitlist opt-ins: 8,483
Waitlist admits: 1,496
does uci randomly remove students off of the waitlist or are the students ranked
@collegefresh7364: Most UC waitlists are not ranked but I am sure they have some hierarchy to determine whom they will admit. In the past, many waitlisted applicants were admitted into Undeclared vs. their 1st and sometimes 2nd choice majors.
should we write them a letter and/or send in a letter of rec?
From the UC website:
** There is nothing that a student should or can do other than opt-in to the waitlist by the stated deadline. Any additional information submitted that was not requested by the campus will not be considered.**
If you want write a letter or send an LOR, then you need to file an appeal.
How do you file an appeal? Is there a certain time frame to turn them in?
For a Freshman appeal to have merit, it must bring to light new academic and personal information, as well as information pertaining to extenuating circumstances that had not been present in the application, and that clearly shows the student to be stronger than had been earlier evidenced. Please note: high grades received in the senior year, recently acquired awards, or an increase in activities are not a basis for the reversal of a decision.
Due to the amount of paperwork received by the office and also the ongoing appeal review process, any paperwork submitted separately WILL NOT be accepted or reviewed. All appeals must be submitted through your UCI Applicant Portal.
Freshman Selection Appeal
Upload the following items by April 15 and include student name and Application ID number on each sheet of materials submitted:
Letter of appeal clearly stating new and compelling information for appeal consideration, written and signed by the applicant
High school transcript from most recent term; please note the transcript must have course information and grades from fall semester of your senior year and any additional semesters available at the time of appeal
Other additional documentation
Letters of recommendation are NOT REQUIRED unless requested by our staff to support appeal information
Please upload all documents for review at one time in your UCI Applicant Portal.
Thank you so much! I don’t want to go down without at least trying a little bit more!
What would happen if you have accepted an offer elsewhere before May 1, and UCI takes you out of the waitlist next day?
Can you still attend UCI?
Do you just lose the enrollment deposit doing so? or is it illegal
@hyhsteven:
You SIR to another school by May 1. If you are accepted off the waitlist at UCI, then you can withdraw from your current school and accept UCI’s offer. You will lose the enrollment deposit at the original school.
How does the appeal process work if you are on the waitlist? There are some little mistakes that I made when I was filling out my UC application. I accidentally put a “g” approved course under “additional coursework” so it looked like I only took 7 UC approved courses senior year, I didn’t put in my SAT score (only ACT), and I also could have explained a little more in detail about an award that I won. Is it possible to appeal and still be on the waitlist? I also don’t see an “appeal” option in my portal so I don’t know how it works.
@akcollege36: You must have compelling information that would make admissions change their mind to accept. A few small mistakes are not a reason to appeal, but if it makes you feel better, then by all means proceed with the appeal.
You do not have an appeal option in your portal. Below is what you need to do to appeal.
**For a Freshman appeal to have merit, it must bring to light new academic and personal information, as well as information pertaining to extenuating circumstances that had not been present in the application, and that clearly shows the student to be stronger than had been earlier evidenced. Please note: high grades received in the senior year, recently acquired awards, or an increase in activities are not a basis for the reversal of a decision.
Due to the amount of paperwork received by the office and also the ongoing appeal review process, any paperwork submitted separately WILL NOT be accepted or reviewed. All appeals must be submitted through your UCI Applicant Portal.
Freshman Selection Appeal
Upload the following items by April 15 and include student name and Application ID number on each sheet of materials submitted:
Letter of appeal clearly stating new and compelling information for appeal consideration, written and signed by the applicant
High school transcript from most recent term; please note the transcript must have course information and grades from fall semester of your senior year and any additional semesters available at the time of appeal
Other additional documentation
Letters of recommendation are NOT REQUIRED unless requested by our staff to support appeal information
Please upload all documents for review at one time in your UCI Applicant Portal.